Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-04-21
rhe Efrect Of Their FatuOus
Policy,

rhe Efrect Of Their fatuo"s
Policy.
Our collaboration, in his San Fran
cisco letter yesterday, animadverted
forcibly upon the fatuous policy OF
the press and large portion OF the
people of the northern part OF the
State in depreciating the manifest
merits OF Southern California and in
exercising all their power to divert
the wonderful tide of immigration
that is passing into this part OF the
State. 1t seemed as if the good for
tune of our section had so blinded the
people OF the north as TO make them
actually believe that they were suffer-
ing a direct injury from our prosper
ity. Nothing was too mean or t o
damaging TO say about US. Truth has
not been taken into account by them,
and the most absurd libels were sent
out broadcast over the country against
our section. A slight visitation OF
infectious disease was magnified into
an epidemic, and the most unjustifi-
able means were resorted TO to create
= panic amongst the strangers in our
midst. Had there been open war
between the two sections, we could
not have been treated more harshly
than we have been by the northern
portion of the State. These people
may now have awakened to tue error
of their policy, as our letter stated
yesterday but the sting OF their venom
ous course will long rankle in the bos-
oms of the people who have been SO
wantonIy assailed. The fact that the
people of the northern portion OF the
State could, even if there had been
an excuse OF pro ovocation, treat us as
enemies, and do their utmost to de-
stroy us, as done more to ALLEVIATE
the people OF Southern California
from those of the north than could
have eventuated from actual hostili-
ties between the two sections. The
agitation heretofore in favor OF a
division of California was mainly
based upon the dissimilarity OF in
terests of the two sections, and the
peculiar topography and territorial
extent OF the State. Now these
reasons will he supplemented by a
sentiment OF animosity made bitter
by the ungenerous and hostile treat
ment our section has received at the
hands Of the people Of Northern
California. That sentiment is not to
be allayed by sugared words after all
the harm possible has been done.
1t will grow and become accentuated
by time, and when We have reached
that point OF population and strength
which will enable us to claim division
: and statehood (and that time is not
5 far .distaui) it will be found that
Southern California will be unit
for separation. But division would
have come about in any event. 1t is
in the nature of our situation; in the
fact that we have different interests
and require different laws and and a
different polity; in the fact that our
mode Of agriculture is by irrigation,
and that laws rendering irrigation ef-
fective in its largest sense, are repug-
nant to the north; in the fact tba.
the great power OF the State is with
the upper portion Of California and
dominates our section to its injury ;
in the fact that our products and in
terests are peculiar and require that
we should have the influence in Con-
gress and in the government which
only statehood can give us. The
Southern counties would form mag
nificent commonwealth. They are
homogeneous in climate, in soil, in
character OF production, in mode OF
agriculture, in commercial tendencies.
Territorially they are SO grouped TO-
gether as to make compact and con-
venient State. Their interests are
alike. There would be no clashing
on the subject of State policy. Their
laws would suit every county in the
group. There would be no conflicts
such as occur in the California Legis-
lature. Nothing would be yielded as
q concession, but all would be granted
as measure of right. There would
be no need Of intrigues and unnatural
combinations to secure just and bene-
ficept laws. Acorrupt San Francisco
lobby would not stand at the gateway
Of legislation exacting toll. South
California as State would develop
into one Of the best governed and
most prosperous Commonwealths in
1he Union. The time when that